Improved deck-ballast boxes for vessels



NFETERS, FHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THADDEUS FOWLER, OF RICHMOND VALLEY, NEW YORK.

IMPROVED DECK-BALLAST BOXES FOR VESSELS.v

Specification forming part of Letters Patent blo-34,358, dated February 11, 1862.

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, THADDEUs FOWLER, of Richmond Valley,in the county of Richmond and State of New York, have invented, made, and applied to use a certain new and improved means for moving the weight-boxes used on steamers and other vessels for keeping them upright in the water; andI do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of my said invention, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, wherein- Figure 1 is a vertical section of my apparatus as applied to said weight-box, and Fig. 2 is a plan of thesame.

Similar marks of reference denote the same parts.

In most vessels, and particularly in river steamboats, a weight-box is employed that.

can be rolled about from place to place in order to keep the vessel perfectly upright or trim, or else to counteract the action ofthe wind as far as possible, and in some vessels several of these boxes are employed, and as the chain cable is often contained in one or more of the boxes they are often called chainboxes. 'lhe weight contained in such boxes is often very considerable and to move them often requires considerable effort by six, eight, or more men. To call these deckhands together often consumes considerable time and takes them away from other necessary duties, as well as often being very hard labor. I

The nature of my said invention consists in the employment of a crank and pinion with the caster-wheel of such weight-boxes, whereby one -1nan can apply suicient power to move said weight-box from place to place in order to balance the boat. The speed of moving said box is of course decreased, but the operation of trimming the boat can be performed in much less time and with greater facility than by the old method of getting the hands together' and one attendant by constantly adapting the position of the box to the varying circumstances of steering the vessel or the preponderance of passengers or freight on either side can greatly facilitate the running of the boat and prevent the loss of speed and power consequent upon any inequality in the level of the vessel,

In the drawings, ct is a box containing the chain or other weight. b b are the wheels or rollers thereunder, as usual.

c is the caster-wheel set in the yoke d, that is attached to a pipee and can be turned in any direction by the handle la, that connects by a fork and projecting pins with the upper end of said pipe.

f is a rod passing through the pipe e and provided with a pinion g at the lower end taking the wheel hor teeth on the side of the caster-wheel c.

t' is a crank-handle on the upper end of the rod f.

It will now be seen that the attendant can move the chain or Weight box backward or forward across the boat by simply turning the crank-handle i, the handle k being in the position shown in Fig. 2 and held between the guide-pins Z Z; but when the box is to be moved to a different part of the boat the direction can be determined by the handle Zo, moving the caster-wheel to a different angle with the box. Several of these pins Z Z may be applied on top of the box ct to hold the handle lo in any desired position.

It is usual to turn the ordinary caster-wheel of chain-boxes aroundv (to the position of Fig. 1) to prevent the box moving by its own weight if the deck becomes inclined, but by turning the forked handle k up over the crank-handle t', as seen by dotted lines in Fig. l, the rolling of the caster-wheelis effectually prevented.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The shat'tf, pinion g, and handle t', in combination with the caster-wheel c, as and for the purposes specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my signature this 4th day of January, 1862.

TI-IADDEUS FOWLER. Witnesses:

LEMUEL W. SEREELL, THos. GEO. HAROLD. 

